Bottle-cap dispenser



3N iv. 29, 1927.

V. BROWNE BOTTLE GAP DISPENSER Filed Dec. 4, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

. V. BROWNE BOTTLE CAP DISPENSER Fi 4. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

INVENTORL A TTORNE Y.

Patented Nov. 29, 1927 omreo resume is mtfisg s,

insert nnownn, OF OKLAHOMA, time, (OKLAHOMA, i-assrenon two oxnnnomnfcoca COLA norm-me comrany, or exterior/re,olrmroxnanom, A coraroaarrron vor OKLAHOMA.

BOTTLE-CA3? nisrmasna.

Application filedEDecentber 4, 1926. Serial No.152,642

In the I bottling oi beverages, a common method of sealing *the filled bottles isfilby a cork disc, the former having-ruffled edges turned down over the lipof the "bottle scription ofthebe'verage contained in the These caps are decorated to show' the various names-oi flavors,and-;when put on hottled beveragesof the fflavor shown on the cap form a means of identification or 'dewhich received from the'factory.

Under' such procedure, when it-was desired to stop 'bottling'a particular'flavor and start bottling '-a beverage of a diflerent fla vor, it was necessary to"fil'l thehopper with caps for the new flavor by the same laborious process of transferring anddepositing the crowns in the crowning machine by means of buckets. a 7

Another great disadvantagein the handling of capsin that manner is in the risk that is run of having them become dusty or otherwise contaminated once the original shipping packagehasbeen opened. This may result in damage to the beverageson which they "are used, or financial loss through the necessity ofdiscardingj such contaminated caps. V wi l Toav-ddztliis repeated handling of caps is the purpose of this invention, as well as to eliminate the attendant risks referred to by providing a dustproof, insect-proof, and sanitary container for said caps while not being actually fed into the crowning marchine. i The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I is an elevation of the device, Figure 2 is aplan view of the device; Figure 3 is an enlarged verticalsectional view of one of the bins; Eigure l4 isian elevation (if the parts shown Eigurefii; :and Figure 50is1-a detail sectiona'l'rviewon the Ili-ne 5-5 oiE' Figure 1 As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the device consists of: .auseries of individual bins 10 arranged icircurmierential-ly on 1a :metal iframe base 11, l'with me'a-ns of holding them rigid "against a central "pipe l leading; into the hopper :of "the crowning -machine *(not shown), :and 'each such Ebin lthhaving :an opening, or valve 14, leading-into the central feedpi'pe'12. i a

This device may abedocate'd on thefloor above, or ron a=floft rover, thait'on which the crowningnnachine is situated, with the eentral feed pipe 12 connecting with the hopper (not shown) i of the crowning machine through an aperture in the floor.

jEach of the" bins 1 0 may be used as a-con tainer for crowns bearing the label for one flavor of "beverages, and the gravitational flow of rsuchlcrowns froan each bin down through the central pipe 12 into "the crowning :machinehs iregirlated'by a combination valveeag ita tor 114415, iherei natter described, connected witheach bin -atits lower and inner side. a l? a The bins are =metal,:anc'l :are inadeto open in the manner shown, thereby inaking a sanitary and dustproof compartment when the crowns'have- 'been placed therein and thehingedtop closed. Each bin'has anina CllDeCl bOhtQInT6 slanting toward the inner side, an'dvalve opening la-referred to, in 0rder L130 induce and celerate f gravitation of, the crown caps towa'rd such opening.

This valve consistsyo f a ball bearing-17, rotatable elbow pipe 18, "through which the crowns will flow 'when the pipe is "turned open side down, an dirom which the crowns willn'ot fiow-when theopen side is turned" upwards. Each valve is operatedby'a lever 19 with cord 20 attached and controlled over a system of pulleys 21, the lever 19 being equipped with a spring 22 to hold and return the valve to theclosedp0si tion.

Each valve is fitted with a collar 23 having a slot 24 in it, through which a pin 25 projeots from the inner connection with the bin. This slot and pin controls the rotation of thevalve so that neither will the operation of the lever 19 rotate the valve, or pipe, be end the downward position nor the operation of the spring 22 onthe lever l9 return the pipeto a position beyondthe' upward position necessary to stop the flow of bottle ca s. 3eing"flat objects, and especially in view of the skirt on" the'edge which renders one side concave, crown caps have a tendency to nest one inside the other as well as to clog unless kept loose. a p W V I To prevent this and to facilitate their movement from the bin through the valve into. thecentral feeding pipe, the rotatable pipe elbow is equipped with an agitator 15 designedtostir up the caps in the bin and in thep'ipe, 5 V This agitator consists-of a shaft 26 which 6 extends from the socket in which it is set in the outer side of the bin through the valve opening'l iand isanchored on the wallof the elbowpipe 18. -A seriesofshort rods 27 are attached crosswise and to this main agitatorshaftQG, thereb forming a means of agitating the caps ao ed in the bin when the main agitator ro is revolved.

,The socket in which the rod is set on the outer side of the bin. allows free movement of the main'agitator rod at that point, and the connection of said'shaft with the elbow pipe is the means .by which such main agitator shaft is put in motion, thisbeing done by the movement of the valve from closed to open position, and vice versa. When such valve, upon which the end of the agitator rod is anchored is moved, it carries the rod with it ina semi-circular movement, the contact'of the rod and its cross-rods in the bin comin in contactwith the crowns and keeping tiem loose in order that they mav flow freelyithrough the valve.

The cords attached tothe valves, and by the pulling of which the valves are operated, are controlled over a system of pulleys to the floor, on which the crowning machine is located. In this way. the operator of the crowning machine may, by a series of pulls on a-particular cord, control and obtain. a flow of the kindof crowns desired from its respective bin into the hopper of.-the crownlngma'chine'. When the quantity desired is obtained the flow may be stopped 'by releasing the cord. Thecrowns remaining in-the bin, or bins, may then be left there without further handling until the same kind is again required.

. .While the device described herein specifies the position of the bins to be'circumferentially around a main feeding pipe, it is to be understood that theposition of the bins -n1ay be varied-so longhsconnection is still maintained with the centralfeedjto the capp ngmachine without departing'from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Havin described my invention I claim:

1. A dispensing device including a bin and,having a valve or discharge outlet, an

agitator pivoted in the bin and attached to the valve whereby the valve and agitator are concurrently operated during a dispensing operation.

2. A dispensing device including a bin and havinga rotary valve, an agitator pivoted inthe bin and attached to the valve whereby the valve and; agitator areconcurrently operated during a dispensing operation. v

3. In a combination bottle cap feeding and storing device, abin with a combination. valve-agitator, consisting of a valve opening on the bin, the movement of said caps being assisted and accelerated through said opening by means of an agitator shaft attached to and extending from a socket in the wall of said valve to a socket in the outside wall of said bin, and having rods attached crosswise thereto, so that the movementof such valve agitates said vshaft and prevents congestion of the caps in said bin or opening.

4. In a combination bottle cap feeding and storing device, a bin with a combination valve-agitator consisting of an elbow pipe rotatable upon its connection with the bin, said pipe being rotatedinto downward position fordelivery of the caps by ineans of a lever attached to the side of said pipe, and returnable to its upward position by means of a spring on said lever, and having a shaft attached to and extending from a socket in the wall of said valve to a socket in the outside wall of such bin, and having rods attaehed crosswise thereto, so that the movement of such valve agitates said shaft and prevents congestion of the caps in said bin or opening. BRO, v 

